Asian Elephant Extravaganza & Siri’s 50th Birthday Celebration
to be held Saturday, August 19 at Rosamond Gifford Zoo
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo will hold its annual Asian Elephant Extravaganza on Saturday, August 19. This daylong event celebrates Asian elephants, the cultures of their native countries and – this year -- elephant matriarch Siri’s 50th birthday. The event is free with zoo admission.
The yearly event at the zoo is co-sponsored by CNY Arts and features performances from the cultures of Asia and India, through Syracuse University’s South Asia Center and the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University. The event includes classical Indian dance, Indonesian gamelan music and a ceremonial fact-painting of Siri.
The zoo is using the occasion to mark the milestone birthday of Siri, the oldest animal at the zoo. The zoo proclaimed this summer the “Summer of Siri” and launched a fundraiser, Pennies for Pachyderms, to raise money for wild elephant conservation in her honor.
“So many people in our community have grown up knowing Siri and see her as an important ambassador of the zoo,” said Zoo Director Ted Fox. “Over the years, many of the improvements we have made to the zoo have developed with Siri in mind. We expect a huge turnout of Siri fans at her 50th birthday party.”
When Siri came to the zoo as a 5-year-old in 1972, she was the zoo’s only elephant. Her need for a bigger enclosure was one of the reasons that led the zoo to close and undergo a complete renovation in the 1980s.
Today, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has a herd of seven Asian elephants and participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Asian elephants overseen by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). It is estimated that only 35,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild – fewer than the number of seats in the Carrier Dome.
As wild populations of elephants continue to decline in Africa and Asia, AZA accredited zoos are playing a vital role as stewards of an important part of the world’s heritage.
To mark Siri’s 50th, the zoo has been asking people to donate their Pennies for Pachyderms to raise money for elephant conservation in the wild. The zoo set the goal of raising $2,000 in Siri’s name, and the Friends of the Zoo offered to match it. Since then, zoo supporters Bob and Zalie Linn also offered a matching gift.
“Since June, people have donated over $1,800 to Pennies for Pachyderms, so we believe we will reach our goal,” said Friends of the Zoo President Janet Agostini. “If we do, with the matching gifts we will be able to donate $6,000 for elephant conservation at the end of this month. And that would be a great way to honor our birthday girl Siri.”
For more information J Gramza, Communications Manager Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park [email protected] (315) 435-8511 x110
Founded in 1914, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is among the top 10 percent of zoos in the country as an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is dedicated to connecting people to the natural world by providing engaging guest experiences, exceptional animal care, and unparalleled conservation education.
The zoo actively collaborates with Friends of the Zoo to provide its guests “the best day ever,” ensuring experiences that excite, memories that endure, and knowledge that inspires worldwide conservation. For more information, visit www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org or visit the zoo’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/syracusezoo.
One Conservation Place, Syracuse, NY 13204 • (315) 435-8511 • (315) 435-8517 fax www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org County Executive, Joanne M. Mahoney • Commissioner of Parks & Recreation, Bill Lansley Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director, Ted Fox • Friends of the Zoo President, Janet Agostini